Olopatadine targets zero itch

Author(s):

Analysis of data from two bilateral conjunctival allergen challenge studies of olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2% showed that ocular itching was prevented in a higher percentage of eyes treated with olopatadine when compared with vehicle.

Cancun, Mexico-Analysis of data from two bilateral conjunctival allergen challenge (CAC) studies of olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2% (Pataday, Alcon Laboratories) showed that ocular itching was prevented in a higher percentage of eyes treated with olopatadine when compared with vehicle, said Michael S. Blaiss, MD. He presented his findings in a poster at the World Allergy Congress in Cancun, Mexico, this past December.

Dr. Blaiss analyzed combined data on 85 patients participating in two prospective, randomized, double-masked bilateral CAC studies. The analysis was another way of looking at the data that should be helpful to clinicians, he noted.

"It tells us more about how this drug works in the real world," said Dr. Blaiss, clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine, University of Tennes see Health Science Center, Memphis. The data also support FDA labeling for once-daily dosing, because significantly more olopatadine-treated patients than those in the placebo group reported no ocular itching 16 hours after treatment.

After the onset of action allergen challenge, 60 % of the eyes treated with olopatadine had zero itch at the 3-minute timepoint, compared with 5.9% for the vehicle-treated eyes (p <0.0001).

At 3 minutes post-allergen challenge following 16-hour dosing, 59.8% of the olopatadine-treated eyes had zero itch, compared with 22% of eyes treated with placebo (p < 0.0001)